Picture-exhibitor



GjW. BROWN. PICTURE EXHIBITOR.

Patented Feb. 9, 1897.

(No Model.)

UNiTED STATES PATENT OrricE.

GEORGE lV. BROVN, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

PICTURE-EXHIBITOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,542, dated February 9, 1897.

Application inea December 12,1895. serrano. 571,916. mama.)

To ou whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE W. BROWN, of Colorado Springs, in the county of ElPaso and State of Colorado, have invented a new and Improved Picture-Exhibitor, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in devices for exhibiting pictures, of which the device described and claimed in my application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 546,910, iiled April 23, 1895, is a type; and the object of the invention is to provide a device of this character of a simple and inexpensive construction adapted to be used in connection with a phonograph or like instrument and to be actuated, together with said phonograph, from a common source of power.

The invention consists in a device comprising a closed casinghavingrollers, one of which is connected with an operating mechanism, such, for example, as the motor of a phonograph, an illuminating device arranged in the casing, a strip carrying pictures arranged to move over said rollers, and an eyepiece carried on the casing in position to render visible the pictures on said strip.

The invention also contemplates certain novel features of the construction, combination, and arrangement of the various parts of the exhibiting device whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use than various other similar devices heretofore employed, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth. The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a longitudinal section taken vertically through the casing of the device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse horizontal section through the casin g of the device, showing the interior mechanism in place; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detached View showing a modified construction of the driving mechanism.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, l indicates with a lens 4.

the casing of the device, which may be of any preferred form and dimensions, herein represented as a rectangular box having a removable cover 2, carrying an eye-tu be 3, provided At one end of the casing 1 a shelf 5 is arranged to extend transversely across the same, and on the extremity of said shelf is mounted an illuminating device,which may be an incandescent lamp o', as shown in Fig. 1.

Behind the lamp G is arranged a concave reiiector 8, carried on a short standard 7 by means of an adjustable clamp 9, said reiiector being arranged to throw the light from said reiiector onto the upper face of the endless paper band or strip 10, carrying the photographs, at a point directly under the lower open end 11 of the eye-tube 3, the said lower end being provided at its side opposite to the lamp 6 with an inclined reflector 11, as clearly indicated in Fig. l.

The paper strip 10 is carried on two rollers or drums 12 and 13, mounted on shafts 15 and 16, j ournaled in the opposite side walls of the casing 1 and extending transversely across the same, as seen in Fig. 2, the roller or drum 12 being circumferentially grooved to receive between its respective end flanges the said strip 10, whereby the same is guided, said strip being held down in the groove of the roller by means of a small roller 17, carried on a spring 1S, secured to the under side of the shelf 5. The main portion of the paper strip or band 10 is arranged to hang loosely down in the lower portion of the casing 1, as indicated at 14 in Fig. l, and said strip is held in engagement with the driving-roller 13 by means of a thin friction disk or roller 19, carried on a shaft 20, also extending transversely across the casin g and journaled at its ends in the side walls thereof.

From the lamp 6 a circuit-wire 21 extends to a battery 22, being controlled by a switch device 2S, and from said battery 22 another circuit-wire 23 extends up and is connected to a binding-post 25, whereby said circuitwire 23 is connected with the motor of a phonograph device arranged in a casing26. (Seen in Fig. 1.) From the opposite terminal of the lampl 6 another circuit-Wire 24 extends across to the other binding-post 25a on the casing 26 of the phonograph, and another con- .fz meerM ductor 27 extends l'rom the switch device directly to the said binding-post 25, whereby it will be seen that said switch device may be operated to either throw the lamp G out of circuit with the phonograph and battery or to place said lamp in the circuit.

A belt orstrap 29 extends down from the interior ol' the phonograph-cash]g, being driven from the motor therein, and said strap or band 2Q passes over a grooved sheave 3() on a transverse driving-shaft 3 mounted in the casing ll. and having an eccentric iixed on it and working' in a strap 323, having an arm Si, provided with a spring 35, arranged to hold a tinger 36, formed on the end of said arm, in engagement with the teeth ol a ratchet-wheel 137, iixed on the shaft 16, whereby it will be seen that the said shaft, together with the roller or drum 13, mounted thereon, and the strip 10, passing over said drum, will be driven from the motor oi' the phonograph.

in operation it will be seen that a-s the phonograph is act uaied by the flow ofthe electricity i' rom the battery 2i? intermittent rotary movement is imparted to the iiexible strip l0, passing over the rollers l2 and 123, whereby the pictures carried on said strip are caused to pass under the open lower end ci the eye piece or tube il, so as to be visible lo the eye outside the casing.

The construction of the device, as above described, is extremely simple and inexpensive and is well adapted for the purposes ior which it is intended; and. it will be obvious from the above description that the device is susceptible ci' considerable mot'lilication without material departure from the principles and spirit ol the invention, and 'for this rcason I do not wish to be understood as limitin lieu oi' employing the eccentric and the ratchet-wheel i'or drivin g the roller or drum ]3 :from the motor oi the phonograph, the

i driving-shaft C31 is provided with a grooved sheave 3S, over which passes an endless band or strap 39, the opposite end o'i' which is cai` ried around a greovcd sheave or pulley l0 on the shaft 1G of the drum lil, whereby it will be seen that when the motor of the. phonograph is operated the ilexiblc strip l0 will be continuously moved under the open lower end of the eye-tube 3.

It desired, a spring-motor may be eniploye `i to run the phonograph, or an oildamp may be used in lieu of the electric lamp for illuniinat ing the pictures.

Having thus described my invention, i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent@ l. In a picture-exhibitor, the combination oi a casing, a phonograph therein provided with a motor, drums journaled in the casing and driven from the motorof the phoiiiograph, a `flexible strip arranged to pass over Athe drums and provided with pictures, an eye tube carried on the casing, through which tube the pictures carried on the strips are visible, a reiiiector arranged at one side of the eye-tube, and an illuminating device arranged at the opposite side ol the eyetube, substantially as set forth.

In a picture-exhibitor, the celnbination of a casing, a phonograph therein having a motor, drums journaledin the casing, a ilexible strip arranged to pass over the drums and adapted to carry pictures, an eye-tube carried on the casing, means to illuminate the pictures passing under the eye-tube, a ratchetwheel connected to one oli' the drums, a shaft journaied in the casing and driven from the motor oi the phonograph, an eccentric carried by said shaft, and a strap for said eccentric provided with a dog to engage and tu rn said ratchet-wheel, substantially as set forth.

Witnesses: l E. E. McMurray, Anni E. McMiinliN. 

